Overhead reels vs threadline

[Gazza]

For light weight fishing 1 kg - 4kg casting light weights etc I doubt you can beat a spinning reel (threadline) but when you get into heavier casting weights or floating live baits the overhead reels and rods come into their own the reason I say this is look at most Barra fishers , live baiters , surf well at least down south ,game fishing what reels and rods are being used overheads

Ok they take a bit of getting used to casting ,thumbing line etc but here's some of the pro's and cons

Pro's

minimal line twist

once learned cast a mile due to less resistance

on rod guides

rods are made to utilise the blank better

star or lever drags can be adjusted with out using the other hand

setting your overhead to free spool with a good ratchet you can hear when your live bait is getting excited and be ready for the big run :woohoo:

or just hear the big run I've yet to find a threadline that you can hear line being taken

Cons

Casting but that much depends on what reel and how you set the reel

A new one on me is useing braid on a reel that has no level wind it can be harsh on the thumb

Don't get me wrong I own both

but overheads win hands down when it comes to big fish freshwater casting celtas or sp's Threadlines win

and as far as alveys no doubt have their place but not on my rods lol

I bet this opens a can of worms

Gaz

[jeff f]

agrre with every word you said gazz

[Feral]

Dont use overheads much, have just started, cant cast for sheeit with them, but I do enjoy using them for live baiting, so easy to just drop over the side!

The other thing I like is the heavier rods for overheads are much better constructed. Once you go over about 6 to 8kg with rods for spinning reels they triple the thickness of the buts, and make the buts way to long. Rods for Overheads in the 8 to 15 kilo range are still relatively thin in the but, and are still nice and short in the but.

Type of reel does not worry me much, I'll use the overheads more as soon as I can learn to cast the mongrels!

Although I must admit in my younger days I would not have touched a spinning reel, I was an Alvey man through and through.

[Brian D]

I like overheads except for 1 little problem. [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/PA290120_AFO.jpg

[Dan23]

I have my dad's abu baitcaster which is really old like somewhere between 20-30 years. It still works perfectly. I can cast half ounce and up just as far as I would with the equivilent line class threadline outfit. Love using it.

Problem is, for the majority of fishing I do half an ounce of weight is way way way too big.

So I mainly use threadline outfits. Live using my batcaster for trolling Gvibes though.

[reef_raider]

hrf n black sheep nice reels brian... u did well with the birdsnests lol. i love the daiwa bayard for casting used it all last weekend and had two small birdsnests

[Feral]

I've only ever had one birds nest on an overhead, Ray bought a Penn combo for the classic last year.

He said have a go at this, so I did. Cast out and voila birds nest from hell. Ray says did you put your thumb on the spool a bit late, thumb on spool says I?

Took Ray half an hour to sort it, and it was 20lb mono on it! I'd have hated to see the mess if it had been braid!

Got Ferg to show me how to set the clutches and use the old thumb, not had a tangle since.

[reef_raider]

sorry guys a bit off topic but brian how much did the blacksheep cost you?

[Tom B]

I hope the bird nests werent too hard to pick out brian, ive never had any trouble with my sheep yet.

Reef raider: I have a black sheep 250 and it cost me $499 with free braid from the tackle warehouse, pretty good deal if you ask me. I use it for jacks and jew down here and ill definately be taking it up north if i ever get to go, maybe next year:)

[kevinchen19870316]

sheep's r designed for heavy use, not lite casting so the brake's tuned a bit stronger than other megaforve Vs. if anyone casts a ito ai/ M-ito/ type-R+/ i'ze light without much control, the birdnests can be terrible. but once managed, someone with mid level of casting skills can fire a 1/4 lure with proper BC set ups ( UL GLX + PRESSO/PIXY/CQ50S )farther than any spinning gear can do.

[bootyinblue]

jeff f wrote:

agrre with every word you said gazz

I understood every second or third word you said...

[faulked]

kevinchen19870316 wrote:

sheep's r designed for heavy use, not lite casting so the brake's tuned a bit stronger than other megaforve Vs. if anyone casts a ito ai/ M-ito/ type-R+/ i'ze light without much control, the birdnests can be terrible. but once managed, someone with mid level of casting skills can fire a 1/4 lure with proper BC set ups ( UL GLX + PRESSO/PIXY/CQ50S )farther than any spinning gear can do.

hey kevin is this a mix of english and chinese it all makes sense then you just lost me totally:P

[kevinchen19870316]

sorry, poor english.

[Brian D]

You guys are being mean to me. Both birds nests were causing by trees and not the user. What's that about tradesmen blaming tools.

The hrf: I let go with a rip and the tip of the rod hit an overhead branch on the follow through while the lure spun around the branch about 30 times.:blush:

The blacksheep: I had the both cast controls wound down as far as it would go and let rip again but this time the lure didn't move more then 2cm. It was struck fast into the trunk of the tree I was tied up to. THe spool went to town and back while I stood there cursing and turning green. :blush:

No- neither birds nest came out, I just peeled off metres from each reel until I got down to a single strand.:S

And noone was there to see it hahahah:P